Senior Planning Manager

Role Overview

Senior Planning Manager at KBR, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reporting to the Project Controls Director, this role coordinates planning, scheduling, and project coordination across a major mixed-use infrastructure development programme, with responsibility for defining, maintaining, and implementing enterprise-level planning standards and systems.

Company Overview

KBR provides PMO services, enterprise-level governance, assurance, integration, and performance oversight across all projects and programs for a major infrastructure programme in Riyadh. The project is a mixed-use development aiming to be a global landmark and authentic destination, functioning as a distinct, self-sustaining hub offering several iconic assets.

Role Purpose

The Senior Planning Manager ensures integrated master scheduling, planning governance, and performance measurement across all project management contractors and districts. The role maintains enterprise planning tools, validates schedule compliance, and delivers comprehensive programme-level reporting to support informed decision-making and risk management.

Key Responsibilities

Planning Standards & Systems

• Define, maintain, and implement the EPPM P6 EPS hierarchy and levels in compliance with the approved WBS and relevant PMC assignments.
• Establish and maintain the weightage system that supports progress measurement rollup for project, district, and programme-level reporting.
• Manage the EPPM P6 environment by maintaining P6 programmes, EPS nodes, IMS, and monthly archiving.
• Maintain an updated P6/EPS change log.
• Support enhancements to planning and reporting tools consistent with digital transformation objectives.

Schedule Development & Integration

• Develop and maintain programme-level and portfolio-level Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).
• Produce and maintain the Master Procurement Schedule in accordance with procurement strategy.
• Develop and maintain an overall, portfolio-level integrated Development Master Schedule (DMS) that combines and aligns inputs, activities, and milestones from multiple stakeholders.
• Ensure that the IMS schedule covers all project scope from initiation to closeout, including design approvals, statutory approvals, infrastructure-related works, procurement activities, tenant fit-out and exhibitions duration.
• Produce the IMS Baseline Package documents, including programme narrative, basis of schedule, weightage distribution, cost loading breakdown, resource loading and resource leveling, codes, key interfaces, logistic constraints, assumptions and exclusions.

Coordination & Governance

• Coordinate with PMCs for overall planning, scheduling, and project coordination.
• Verify the entire programme scope and sitewide packages are included within the IMS with communication upstream and downstream.
• Identify and manage inter-project interfaces, dependencies, and critical paths.
• Verify alignment between district-level and asset-level schedules.
• Provide governance and oversight of PMC Level 3 baseline schedules development and control by reviewing, validating, and approving PMC-developed schedules.
• Verify schedules are realistic and achievable, logic-driven, resource and cost loaded, and fully traceable.
• Review and approve baseline schedules, including interim and recovery baselines.
• Manage baseline change control, including impact assessment, approvals, and documentation.

Data Integration & Alignment

• Provide alignment between planning tools, PMIS (SharePoint), DWH, and all existing cost and reporting platforms.
• Coordinate schedule data integration and validation across systems.
• Lead revised schedule baseline process.

Reporting & Analysis

• Produce and issue a monthly updated IMS pack reflecting the approved monthly progress cut-off date and reporting calendar, including consolidated portfolio and programme-level IMS, Schedule Performance Analysis Report, Baseline and Change Impact Statement, Forecast and Mitigation Status Report, Interfaces and Dependency Log, updated KPIs report, updated IMS cashflow critical path(s) and near-critical path analysis, float consumption and trend analysis, schedule alert monitoring and reporting, updated resource profile Schedule Change Log, and version-controlled IMS tracker with clear revision history.
• Report upon the percent complete at the district, programme, and portfolio levels based on the agreed weightage system.
• Report upon DMS activities including Development Briefs and Feasibility Business Plan approvals, land acquisition and release dates, marketing activities and launch events, tenant fit-outs and exhibitions activities, sales strategies and events, budgeting, and cost information.
• Produce, maintain, and regularly update the IMS including the Baseline BoD completion dates tracker, cash flow calculation and guidelines, resource calculation and guidelines, baseline Change Control Tracker, baseline records and version history, IMS Interface Tracker, programme-level key issues, delay analysis, schedule alerts, and mitigation measures tracker.
• Review PMC Level 3 updated schedules and verify performance by defining standard progress measurement rules and methodologies.
• Review PMC progress updates for accuracy, consistency, and substantiation.
• Validate reported progress against approved schedules and supporting evidence.
• Perform schedule performance analysis, including critical path, float consumption, and trend analysis.
• Identify delays, risks, and emerging issues impacting schedule performance.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Provide independent quality assurance of PMC schedules by monitoring PMC compliance with planning and scheduling standards through periodic schedule quality reviews and health checks.
• Verify traceability, audit trails, and documentation for schedule decisions.
• Support internal and external audits related to schedule management.

Scenario & Risk Analysis

• Support scenario analysis, sequencing options, and strategic planning inputs.
• Evaluate and escalate schedule risks and opportunities in coordination with risk management functions.
• Support proactive forecast and recovery schedule management by reviewing and validating PMC forecasts and projected completion dates.
• Assess the credibility of mitigation and recovery plans for delayed projects.
• Support the development and review of recovery schedules and acceleration options.

Detailed Analysis & Investigation

• Perform detailed schedule analysis of Level 4 Contractor Programme to investigate issues related to progress and project status.

Governance & Meetings

• Participate in monthly Programme Review meetings.

Capability Development

• Support long-term programme maturity by capturing lessons learned and best practices in planning and scheduling, and supporting training, guidance, and mentoring for PMCs and internal teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Science in construction management, engineering, planning, or management.
• Minimum 15 years post-graduation experience.
• Professional memberships and charterships required.
• PMI-PMP, PMI-CAMP, GRI Professional, or equivalent certification.
• Sound knowledge of all engineering, commercial, and planning aspects of major civil, infrastructure, and development projects.

Skills & Competencies

• Experienced user of Primavera P6, Pert Master, and MS Office.
• Excellent knowledge of CPM networks, resource and cost loading, and risk management techniques.
• Ability to effectively monitor and analyse progress, identify trends, and recommend corrective actions.
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• Leadership.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Commercial awareness.
• Strong client focus.
• Planning and organising skills.
• Accepts responsibility.
• HSE awareness.